I was born in the city of San Bernardino, and I have seen many mayors both good and bad. Most of these mayors were good, strong and tough and they did the best job possible to make San Bernardino great. Uptown San Bernardino was a boomtown with businesses, theaters, nightclubs, etc.

However, the last two mayors have failed to do anything to draw businesses to our city. In fact, our city’s uptown is now a ghost town, we cannot have the homeless people sleeping in uptown streets day-in and day-out. The homeless, parolees, and other such people make the citizens of San Bernardino feel that the uptown district of San Bernardino is not a safe place. Even our beautiful hotel is closed; yes shut down! Judge Pat Morris was releasing the homeless parolees and other such people into uptown and allowed them to roam our streets.

I participated in revising the general plan while I served as planning commissioner. The citizens of San Bernardino decided that any and all housing for alcoholics, homeless and parolees would be located in light industrial zones only. San Bernardino was known as a beautiful and friendly city – look at it now.

We need a mayor, one who puts our city first, and for the last 20 years, Jim Penman has done just that. Penman is the man who will move our city forward!